Method of and apparatus for forming channeled strips



1934- A. H. BRUNNER ET AL. 1,970,029

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CHANNELED STRIPS Filed July 7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 14, 1934. A. H'BRUNNER r AL 1,970,029

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CHANNELED STRIPS Filed July '7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A/mrneys Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE METHGH) @F AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING I CHANNELED STRIPS Albert Harold Erunner, LosAngeles, and Harry H.

Tice, Santa Monica,

Schumacher \Vall Board Corporation,

to Los Calif., assignors Claims.

This invention relates to a method of forming longitudinal channels in a continuous strip of fibrous material such as paper. The method of this invention is particularly applicable to the 5 formation of longitudinal channels in paper which is to be employed in the manufacture of that form of plaster board known as plaster lath. The present invention is also directed toward an arrangement and combination of elemi ments whereby a strip of fibrous material being fed into a plaster board forming machine may be continuously scored, crimped and otherwise manipulated so as to: form channels or folds having sharp and definite corners in such continuous 1'51 strip.

Obviously, a continuous method of manufactun ing the board is much more facile and economical than an operation in which individual small sheets are made.

It has been discovered that continuous strips of paper and similar fibrous material may have accurate, clean-cut grooves or channels formed therein by continuously advancing a continuous strip of material by the application of substantially uniform tension along the entire width of such strip, provided that at some point in the scoring and crimping operation to which the continuously advancing strip is subjected the tension along the longitudinal edges of such strip be increased as, for example, by passing such scored and crimped sheet over a concave roll, thereby permitting the scored and indented strip to become folded along desired score lines and thereby narrowed in width.

In this manner, the strip is continuously scored, depressed or indented and then folded so as to form what appear to be longitudinally disposed box plaits therein. After the formation of such box'plaits, the strip is again partially expanded in width until the plaits assume the form of channels having the required depth. Such channels will be found to be provided with sharp and accurate corners or bends which are particularly well adapted to receive the plastic cementitious composition forming the body or core of the finished lath board.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to disclose and provide a method of continuously treating continuous strips of fibrous material 69 whereby channels can be formed therein.

Another object is to disclose and provide a method of treating paper continuously for use in the manufacture of lath board.

Another object is to disclose and provide an apparatus capable of, continuously treating continuous strips of material for the formation of channels therein.

These and other objects, uses and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the method and of one form of apparatus whereby said method may be utilized.

.In describing the invention, reference will be had to the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 diagrammatically represents a transverse section through a portion of a continuous strip of fibrous material.

Fig. 2 diagrammatically represents a transverse section through a strip of. material which has been scored and indented or crimped.

Fig. 3 represents a strip of material such as is shown in Fig. 2 after such indentations have been folded so as to resemble longitudinally disposed box plaits.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of a portion of lath board in which the fibrous sheet of Fig. 3 is employed.

Fig. 5 diagrammatically illustrates an arrangement of elements as applied to one end of a plaster board manufacturing machine for subjecting a continuous strip of paper to successive scoring, crimping and folding and expanding operations, whereby longitudinal channels of the desired shape and spacing may be continuously formed in such strip.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a pair of scoring devices which may be employed in the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a vertical section taken along the plane 7-7 indicated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a plurality of crimping rolls which may be employed in the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 5.

- Fig. 9 is an elevation taken along a plane transverse to the movement of the strip of paper, showing the relative positions of opposing crimping rolls.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken along the plane 10-l0 indicated in Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of a concave roll having the folded and plaited strip thereon.

Fig. 12 illustrates a portion of the forming and expanding elements used in the apparatus shown in Fig. 5. 7

As shown in Fig. 4, which is a transverse section through a portion of a finished lath board, the product consists of a cementitious core 1 provided with one plane surface covered with a sheet of fibrous material 2 and with an indented or channeled surface covered with the fibrous material 3. The grooves or channels may be dovetailed, as shown, and all surfaces of such channels are covered by the fibrous material 3. It is particularly desirable that the corners, such as the corners 4 and 5, be clean and sharp so as to insure proper adherence and keying of plaster or other cementitious material which will eventually be applied to the surface 3 when the lath board is actually used for structural purpose It is highly desirable from a manufacturing standpoint that these channels, generally indicated at 6, extend longitudinally of the board.

In forming the sheet 3, indicated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the sheet 3 is first scored longitudinally and an indenting pressure is then applied between suitable score lines until rectangular channels, such as are indicated in Fig. 2, are formed. The formation of channels in a strip of paper r duces the over-all width of such strip. A further reduction of the over-all width is then obtained, in accordance with the method of this invention, by increasing the longitudinal tension along the edge areas of the strip, causing the entire strip to become plaited and to move toward the longitudinal center line of such strip. The plaited strip is shown in Fig. 3 and the reduction in width is apparent from a comparison -of Figs. 2 and 3.

After having been plaited in the manner indicated, the plaited strip may be further compressed as by passage through rolls so as to insure the formation of sharp corners 4 and 5 and the plaited strip is then expanded again until the channels 6 assume the desired shape. Obviously the channels 6 may be either dovetailed or rectangular, depending upon the amount of expansion to which the strip is subjected after the above described scoring, crimping and compressing operation.

The adaptation of this method of continuously treating a moving strip of material to a, con-' tinuous plaster board making machine, will be evident from a contemplation of Fig. 5. In an ordinary machine, whether lath board or ordinary plaster board is being manufactured a strip of surfacing paper of the required thickness, weight, porosity, etc., is continuously fed to the machine at about the point D, such strip of paper moving in the direction of the arrow above the letter D as shown on Fig. 5. A plastic mixture of suitable cementitious material, such as a mixture of plaster of Paris and water with or without other ingredients and fillers, is then supplied to the surface of the sheet as by means of a transverse conveyor 7, the cementitious material being indicated at 1. An upper sheet, indicated at 2, is then fed into contact with the cementitious material so as to cover the same. The sheet 3 as well as the sheet 2' are moved toward the right in the direction of the arrow by means of driven rollers such as the upper roller 8 and by the supporting and driven belt 9. The rollers 8 and the belt 9 apply a substantially uniform longitudinal tension to the strips of fibrous material 3 and 2 so as to continuously move the same uniformly throughout the length of the machine. During such movement the cementitious material sets between the covering sheets and should expand sufiicient to permit the continuous strip to be cut into desired sections and those sections are then passed through suitable driers in which free moisture is removed from the board. Details of continuous plaster board making machines need not be shown nor described here inasmuch as they are well known in the art.

In adapting the method of this invention to a continuous plaster board making machine of the character indicated, a feed roll 10 for a continuous strip of fibrous material 3, is journaled at some suitable point in advance of the plaster feeding end of the machine. As indicated in Fig. 5, the feed roll 10 may be mounted at a point above the laster feeding conveyor 7. The strip of paper may then pass through rolls 11, scoring means, generally indicated at A, crimping means, gen-' erally indicated at B, and means for plaiting the crimped sheet, such as the concave roll generally indicated at C, and then over another roll'12 beyond the expanded forms 13 which direct the channeled or longitudinally corrugated strip along the feeding conveyor '7 and into the pinch rolls 14. Additional rolls, such as the rolls 15, 16 and 17, may be positioned at suitable points along the travel of the sheet. It may be said that Fig. 2 represents the strip of material 3 as it passes through the last of the crimping rolls indicated at B, whereas Fig. 3 represents the sheet of material as it passes over the roll C or the roll 12.

In order to facilitate continuous operation of the machine, a supplementary feed roll 10' is shown, the strip of material from this roll passing over guiding rolls l3 and 19 on its way to the rolls 11. In this manner, paper may be drawn from either the feed roll 10 or the feed roll 10 at all times.

The scoring means, generally indicated by the letter A in Fig. 5, are shown in more detail in Figs. 6 and 7. The rolls 11 and 15 may be freely journaled in side plates 20 carried by the frame 21 of the machine. The scoring discs, indicated at 22, are mounted upon shafts 23 journaled in hangers 24 pivoted at 25. Each scoring shaft 23 has an opposing driven roll 26, the sheet of paper 3 passing between the driven roll and the scoring shaft. The scoring pressure may be regulated by moving the hangers 24 toward the opposing roll 26 as by means of adjusting screws 27 carried in brackets 28 fastened to the side plates 20. The driven rolls 26 may be driven in any suitable manner as, for example, by means of mitre gears 29 and a drive shaft 30 driven from a source of power, not shown. As indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. the driven rolls 26 and 26' are positioned above and below the plane of the sheet of material 3 and are driven in opposite directions by means of gears 31 and 32. During scoring, the discs 22 cut partially into the paper. thus forming a series of definite lines along which the paper may be subsequently folded with the formation of sharp and clean-cut corners.

As the crimping and folding operation progresses, the sheet or strip of material 3 becomes narrower. The reduction in width of such strip is facilitated by increasing the tension along the longitudinal edge portions of such continuously advancing strip 3. This is accomplished by passing the strip 3 over the concave roll C which may or may not be driven. The reduction in width ofthe strip 3 is a gradual one from a point, at the rolls 11 to the roll C. As a result, the successive scoring operations and crimping operations to which the sheet is subjected must be progressively closer together. As shown in Fig. 6, the scoring discs 22 carried by the shaft 23 are closer together than the scoring discs 22' carried by the shaft 23. Preferably, however, the strip is of uniform width until rolls 15 are reached and the gradual narrowing only takes place from the roll 15 to the roll C.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate one form that the crimping rolls may assume, such rolls being generally indicated at B in Fig. 5. The crimping elements are preferably eccentric discs 35 provided with hubs 36 firmly mounted on shafts 37 as by means of set screws so that the spacing of discs 35 on the shafts 37 may be changed if desired. The shafts 37 are locked in position in hangers 38 as by means of locking screws 39. The shafts 37 are mounted in pairs, one above the other, and by partially rotating shafts relatively to one another, the amount of overlap between opposing discs 35 may be controlled. In other words, the amount of indenting or channeling which the discs 35 accomplish may be regulated by partial rotation relative to each other of the shafts 37.

A plurality of the crimping devices is preferably employed. Two of such crimping devices are shown in Fig. 8. Attention is called to the fact that the crimping discs on shaft 37' are closer together than those on shaft 37. This is again done so as to compensate for the gradual narrowing in the width of the sheet 3 as it passes progressively through the scoring rolls and through the crimping devices on the roll C. Furthermore, the discs 35 are not only closer together but are also so positioned on the opposing shafts as to overlap to a greater extent and to thereby deepen the previously made indentation. All of the discs 35 and 35, however, are of the same width, this width depending upon the width of the finished or final indentation.

When eccentrically mounted and adjustable crimping discs of the character described are used, such crimping discs are obviously not driven but instead the fibrous strip is pulled between opposing sets of such discs. If driven crimping rolls were to be employed, they could not be eccentrically mounted, although they could be adjustable in spacing relatively to one another.

After the strip of material 3 has passed from the feed roll through the roll 11, the scoring devices A, the intermediate roll 15 and the crimping devices 13, it passes over the concave roll C on which roll the crimped paper is now folded so as to assume the transverse section shown in Fig. 3 and diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 11. Thereafter the plaited strip 3 passes over the roll 12. This roll may either be a cylindrical roll or slightly concave. A cylindrical roll is preferred, however, the paper being discharged in its plaited condition so as to pass through a final pressing roll 16. Thereafter the plaited strip begins to expand as it enters the forms 13. The form plate 13 is provided with cleats or forms 40 of gradually increasing height and width, the cleats 40 being adapted to enter the incipient channels 6 of the plaited strip 3 and to expand the channels into that position which it is desired for the finished sheet to assume. The cleats l0 may extend from beneath a pressing roll 1'7 to a point where the material enters upon the feed belt 9, thereby insuring the reduction of the desired channel shape during the application of the gypsum or other cementitious composition to such formed orchanneled strip.

Those'skilled in the art will appreciate from the description given hereinabove that a method of continuously channeling, folding or plaiting fibrous material has been provided. Although a specific form of apparatus has been described in some detail, numerous changes and modifications may be made therein. Furthermore, although a dovetailed longitudinal channeling has been described, it is to be understood that the channels or grooves provided in the finished plaster board may be semi-circular, arcuate, rectangular or of any other desired shape. It is not necessary to arrange the feed roll, scoring and crimping devices above the level of the feed belt 9, as is shown in Fig. 5, but instead the feed roll 10 and the scoring and crimping devices may be mounted on substantially thesame plane as the belt 9, although this latter method of arrangement uses more fioor space.

All such changes and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

We claim;

1. A method of forming a longitudinally channeled strip of fibrous material which comprises: continuously advancing a strip of material by applying tension longitudinally thereof, said tension being substantially uniform transversely of said strip, scoring the strip along a number of longitudinal lines, depressing the strip into channels between selected score lines, folding said depressed channels formed in said strip to form box plaits whereby the over-all width of the strip is reduced, and subjecting the longitudinal edge portions of said strip during said folding operation to a positive tension in addition to the substantially uniform tension applied to the central portion of the strip.

2. In a plaster board machine, the combination of a feed roll for a strip of fibrous material, means for applying a longitudinal tension to said strip to move the same, a concave cylinder for increasing the tension at the longitudinal edge portions of said strip, scoring and crimping means positioned between said concave cylinder and the feed roll for scoring and crimping said strip longitudinally, and means for compressing the crimped strip.

3. In a plaster board machine, the combination of a feed roll for a strip of fibrous material, means for applying a longitudinal tension to said strip to move the same, scoring and crimping means for scoring and crimping said strip longitudinally thereof, a concave cylinder positioned between the scoring and crimping means and means for applying longitudinal tension, said concave cylinder being adapted to increase the tension on the longitudinal edge portions of said strip and fold the scored and crimped strip to form longitudinal plaits therein.

4. In an apparatus for continuously treating a strip of fibrous material, the combination of a feed roll for a strip of fibrous material, scoring means adapted to form a plurality of longitudinally directed score lines on said strip, crimping means adapted to depress the strip between selected score lines, said crimping means comprising fixed shafts mounted on opposite sides of said strip material, said shafts being provided with spaced discs eccentrically mounted on said shafts, and means for continuously advancing said strip through said scoring means and crimping means successively While subjecting longitudinal edge portions of said strip to a slightly greater tension than the central portions thereof.

5. In an apparatus for continuously treating a strip of fibrous material, the combination of a. feed roll for a strip of fibrous material, scoring means adapted to form a plurality of longitudinally directed score lines on said strip, crimping means adapted to depress the strip between selected score lines, said crimping means comprising fixed shafts mounted on opposite sides of said strip material, said shafts being provided with spaced discs eccentrically mounted on said shafts and means for adjustably positioning said shafts whereby the depth of crimp may be regulated, and means for continuously advancing said strip through said scoring means and crimping means successively while subjecting longitudinal edge portions of said strip to a slightly greater'tension than the central portions thereof.

6. In an apparatus for continuously treating a strip of fibrous material, the combination of a feed roll for a strip of fibrous material, scoring means adapted to form a plurality of longitudinally directed score lines on said strip, crimping means adapted to depress the strip between selooted-score lines, said crimping means comprising fixed shafts mounted on opposite sides of said strip material, said shaftsbeing provided with spaced discs eccentrically mounted on said shafts and means for adjustably positioning said shafts whereby the depth of crimp may be regulated, and means for continuously advancing said strip through said scoring means and crimping means successively while subjecting longitudinal edge portions of said stripto a slightly greater tension than the central portions thereof, said last named means being adapted to fold the scored and crimped strip to form longitudinally disposed plaits.

tween said-tension applying means and crimping means, said concave cylinder being adapted to increase tension on the longitudinal edge portions of said strip and fold the same to form longitudinal plaits therein.

8. In a plaster board machine, the combination of-a feedroll :fora strip of fibrous niaterial, scoring means comprising a shaft provided with spaced discs adapted to form a plurality of longitudinally directed score lines on one surface of said strip, and a roll parallel to and opposing said shaft in contact with the other surface of said strip, crimping means adapted to depress the strip between-selected score lines, means for applying a substantially uniform tension to said strip to move the same through said scoring and crimping means, and a concave cylinder positioned between said strip-moving means and crimping means for'subjecting said crimped strip to increase tension along longitudinal edge portions thereof.

9. In a plaster board machine, the combination of a feed roll for a strip of fibrous material, scoring means adapted to form a plurality of longitudinally directed score lines on said strip; crimping means adapted to depress the strip between selected'score lines, said crimping means comprising fixed shafts mounted on opposite sides of said strip material, said shafts being provided with spaced discs eccentrically mounted on said shafts, means for continuously advancing said strip through said scoring means and crimping means successively, and a concave cylinder positioned between said advancing means and crimping means, said concave cylinder being adapted to increase the tension on the longitudinal edge portions of said strip and fold the scored and crimped strip to form longitudinal plaits therein.

10. In an apparatus for continuously treating a strip of fibrous material, the combination of a feed roll for a strip of fibrous material, scoring means adapted to form a plurality of longitudinally directed score lines on said strip, said scoring means including a shaft provided with scoring discs and an opposing driven roller, means for adjustably positioning said shaft and scoring discs with respect to the surface of said roller, crimping means adapted to depress the strip between selected score lines, means for continuously advancingcsaid strip through said scoring means and crimping means, and a concave cylinder positioned between said crimping means and advancing means, said concave cylinder being adapted to increase the tension on the longitudinal edge portions of said strip and fold the scored and crimped strip to form longitudinal plaits therein.

ALBERT HAROLD BRUNNER. HARRY H. TICE. 

